Description of the attraction
Nelson's Dockyards are a heritage site and marina in English Harbor. They are part of Nelson Dockyard National Park, which includes Clarence House and Shirley Heights. The complex is named after Admiral Horatio Nelson, who lived at the docks from 1784 to 1787. Nelson's Shipyards are today the site of Antigua's sailing and yachting events and the Museum of Navy and Shipyard History.
The port of England quickly became a naval base in the colony. Its position on the south side of the island made it possible to observe the neighboring French island of Guadeloupe. In addition, the natural conditions well protected ships and cargo from hurricanes. The first registered ship to enter an English port in 1671 was the Castle Dover yacht, hiding from the pirates who were pursuing her.
Construction of the modern shipyard began in the 1740s by slaves from plantations who were sent to the docks. By 1745, a line of timber storage facilities had been erected on the site of the current Cooper & Lambert Magazine Hotel, and land reclamation had begun to provide suitable berths. Residential quarters were built between 1755 and 1765. Additionally, storage rooms, a kitchen and stables were equipped. Wooden piles were laid and faced with granite, delimiting the docks. In the period from 1773 to 1778 there were erected buildings of a guardhouse, an armory, a canvas, rope warehouse and a clothing store.
Many of the buildings seen in Nelson's Dockyards today were built on a program carried out between 1785 and 1794, which coincides with Nelson's own stay here (from 1784 to 1787).
In 1889, the Royal Navy left the shipyards and they fell into disrepair. The Society of Friends of the English Harbor began restoration of the complex in 1951. Ten years later, Nelson's Shipyards were opened to the public. The original buildings include two hotels, a museum, craft and grocery stores, restaurants and a large marina. The Royal Navy Officers' House, built in 1855, was rebuilt in the 1970s. The building served as offices before opening its doors as the Nelson Dockyard History Museum in 1997. Today, the museum displays exhibits relating to archaeological and historical research in Antigua.
